Today the Marion County Rotary Club kicked off the 2024 Duck Season in Ocala, Florida! Our first Duck Derby Fundraiser of the year wouldn’t be the same without some weather-related issues, would it? The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, February 17th but had to be postponed to today, February 19th due to the rain.
The Marion Rotary Duck Derby is hosted in conjunction with the Ocala Cattle Drive, the annual festival celebrating Central Florida cattle history. The event consists of many exhibitors, a variety of food vendors, family friendly activities and much more! Unfortunately, Ocala had a 56% chance of rain on Saturday, so the Marion Rotary Duck Derby had to be postponed a few days later.
The proceeds raised from the Marion Rotary Duck Derby support the Discovery Center, a family-friendly science center that promotes interactive learning and encourages individuals to expand their knowledge, as well as many other charities supported by the Marion County Rotary Clubs. Over the past 5 years, the Marion Rotary Duck Derby has raised almost $30,000, and, including grants and sponsorships, over $200,000 for the Discovery Center alone!
In the end, all 5,000 ducks were adopted to raise money for the Discovery Center and other local charities in Ocala, Florida. A huge congratulations to the Marion County Rotary Club, Discovery Center and all the other parties involved who helped make this fundraiser a success, regardless of the weather and last-minute changes! Let’s hope that next year the sunshine will make an appearance on Duck Derby Day!
